SFP - Descriptive Research Lesson

Descriptive Research

Descriptive research is a systematic way of using observation to describe behavior. Through descriptive research psychologists seek to answer the who, what, when, and where of a situation by answering the following questions:

  1. When does the behavior take place?
  2. How often is the behavior occurring?
  3. Are there any other related factors?

Descriptive methods are useful when you are trying to gather a great deal of information on behavior. In our everyday lives, we observe and try to explain behavior. Psychologists who use descriptive methods are doing the same thing but in a systematic manner. Case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation are all types of descriptive research.

The Case Study

Case studies are all about the details! They provide an in-depth study of one person or a small group. Clinical psychologists often use case studies to develop complete profiles of psychotherapy clients. The important thing about case studies is that they can provide a detailed picture of the person or small group you are trying to study. If, for example, you are trying to investigate a rare, unusual, or extreme condition, a case study would serve you well.

However, there are a few disadvantages to using a case study to investigate behavior. While they may provide us with a lot of information, we may never be able to determine the underlying reason for the behavior. The second and most important disadvantage of using a case study is that they often are not generalizable (Generalizability is the degree to which a study's results can be applied to the greater population.)

Surveys

If you are trying to find out about the behavior, attitudes, or opinions of a group of people, a survey is a terrific way to achieve your goal. Surveys are direct in that they ask participants to respond to a structured set of questions. Surveys can take the form of paper and pencil, internet, or computer and allow for data to be collected from large groups.

When using the survey method, it is especially important to consider your population and then select a sample that is representative of the population you want to study. This means that your sample must be random! Every member of the larger group should have a 50/50% chance of being selected for inclusion. To achieve this, researchers might draw names, use random number generators, or select every other person from the larger group. The potential problems of using the survey method include low response rates, participants who lie, and wording effects.  

 

Naturalistic Observation

Naturalistic observation describes when researchers aim to observe and record behavior in its natural environment. The key component to success is for the researcher to not be detected. By going undetected you have a better chance of observing behavioral patterns that exist naturally. One of the advantages of naturalistic observation is that it allows for the observation of behaviors that could not be ethically measured through experimentation.

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